Warning Him
by turbomagnus
Summary: What if Quistis refused to support Selphie's plans for Squall during the Garden Festival? Q/S.


Summary: What if Quistis refused to support Selphie's plans for Squall during the Garden Festival? Q/S.

Disclaimer: The "Final Fantasy" game series, "Final Fantasy VIII", and all associated characters and situations are the property of Square, otherwise known as Squaresoft and Square-Enix, and are used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit. Sorry, Forest Owls, you don't get a simpler version of it.

-o0O0o-

"Warning Him"  
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

-o0o-

"One man with courage makes a majority."  
\- attributed variously to Presidents of the United States of America Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson, among others.

-o0O0o-

Since her demotion from SeeD Instructor to SeeD, Quistis Trepe had thought about the reasoning behind it. It was felt that, while as a teacher she could pass along information in an acceptable manner, she failed as a leader due to an inability to make herself heard and reign in the various attitudes of a team so that they would function in a unified manner. After a while, she realised that it was true, she was better at serving as someone else's second-in-command than she was at being in command herself; the events in Galbadia had proven that. That little voice inside her head that she tried to ignore, however, kept insistently asking if it was being 'someone else's' second-in-command that she'd felt more comfortable with or if it was being _Squall's_ second instead. Especially since there was no longer the restriction against relationships between SeeDs and students or Instructors and either between them now that they were both simply SeeDs. Was it being Squall's second that pleased her, that voice kept asking, or was it just being around him? From the time she'd joined his team in Timber, through being held in the D-District Prison after the failed assassination, while Balamb Garden was drifting and the time in Fisherman's Horizon while it was being repaired, she'd done her best not to dignify that voice by even acknowledging it, much less giving it an answer... then came earlier that day...

She supposed it wouldn't impress anyone if she told them that Seifer calling himself a 'Captain' was no longer the most ridiculous thing she could ever remember hearing. The idea and plan that she'd walked away from after hearing it had taken that 'honor' quite handedly. Honestly, though, she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised; Selphie was outgoing and expected the same from everyone else, Irvine and Rinoa hadn't know Squall long enough to know him really - not that they'd even tried - and Zell...

Quistis sighed, that Zell was enthusiastic was sometimes the best and sometimes the worst anyone could say about him. The problem was that he didn't often think things through, preferring to act and deal with the consequences as they happened. Add the four of them together along with Selphie and Irvine's idea that the arguments between Rinoa and Squall were a sign of 'unresolved sexual tension' and it was like a pack of explosives in a room with a Fire spell; nothing good could come of it. Especially not when her most reserved and private student was added into that mixture; Quistis could still remember the trip to the field exam when Zell had lost points in proper decorum for a SeeD for his reaction when Squall had refused to show off his gunblade, which had been in accordance with the Garden rules. Thinking of that made her futher remember how Zell had lost more points during the same trip for his attitude towards Seifer who, whether the two liked each other or not, _had_ been his squad leader at the time, when even Squall who had been injured by him that very morning had simply gone along with Seifer in that position as part of the situation.

She shook her head, she was letting herself mentally complain about Zell to try and distract herself from the guy she both was and wasn't supposed to be focusing on. After all, technically now that the Headmaster had made him SeeD Commander, Squall was now her superior. Relationships between superiors and subordinates weren't allowed in SeeD, or almost any other military force or organization with a chain of command. Then Quistis shook her head again, even more furiously, as what she'd just thought fully registered itself in her conscious mind.

_'Relationships... Is that really what I'm wanting with Squall, a relationship?"_

"Instructor? Is something wrong?"

Quistis stopped and looked around, taking in her surroundings with a hint of surprise which she tried not to show. Looking at the student who had addressed her, she frowned slightly, "Hm? What do you mean?"

"You were walking, but it was like you weren't seeing anything. Is everything alright, Instructor Trepe?"

Somehow, Quistis managed not to flush in embarassment, "It's nothing you need to worry about; I was simply lost in my thoughts."

"Those must have been some thoughts, Instructor."

"I suppose that's one way of putting it," the blonde woman admitted. With a faint frown, she made an observation, "I'm surprised you're not in town preparing for the Garden Festival tonight..."

The student sighed, "Sorry, Instructor, but with everything that's happened the last few days - the 'civil war' here in Garden, the missile attack, drifting right into Fisherman's Horizon in time for a Galbadian attack... I guess I've got my own thoughts to deal with, ma'am. I'm just not in the mood for a party, all I can think about is that we're basically at war and people die in war, maybe even me, maybe I'll even be the one to kill them; who am I to decide who lives and who dies, what gives me that right..."

"Just the fact that you're willing to think about it means you have a better right and someone who doesn't," Quistis pointed out. "Not everyone would consider that the other person in a fight might not want to die or kill either. It's easy to talk about other people's feelings and wants when nothing's happening, but it's a lot harder to do in situations like these. Don't lose that."

After looking thoughtful for a moment, the student nodded decisively, "You're right, Instructor. I might not like the idea of fighting, but there's always something I can do to help. Tomorrow, I'm going to see Doctor Kadowaki about signing up for first aid classes so I can keep people alive in fights instead of worrying about hurting anyone. Thanks, Instructor."

While Quistis was realising that she'd just answered part of her own dilemma, the student waved at her and started off walking down the corridor again towards the Main Hall. Quistis supposed that she shouldn't be surprised at where she had unconsciously headed after entering the Garden. Of the two of them, she was the more philosophical one and Xu was the one who preferred to act, but there was still one piece of philosophy that her friend loved; 'the truth shows when we stop thinking about it'. At one time, Quistis had asked her about it and she'd been told that it just meant that when people stopped thinking about things, stopped trying to make things happen or make them happen certain ways, the truth usually came out.

The truth was that someone had to tell Squall, let him know what they were up to, and since she was the only one who seemed to be in disagreement with the idea doing so fell to her by default. She could even consider it looking out for her superior officer, if she needed to, just to ease her mind. Or if she needed to lie to herself that she wasn't doing it for other reasons. Since it seemed as though fate or her subconscious had made her decision for her already, Quistis gave in and headed for Squall's dormitory single room.

Even after reaching it, the blonde couldn't help but stand there, looking at the door. If she didn't do this, just like with Seifer as Squad Captain, Squall would let the others' plan happen and simply deal with it and any consequences. Telling him beforehand though, deliberately setting herself against them, had the potential to split the team; anger, frustration, jealousy, especially if someone on either side refused to back down, and from what she'd seen both at Garden and since meeting Rinoa and Irvine, none of them were all that good at backing down. Could SeeD, could Garden, could the free - meaning not under Galbadian control - world deal with having SeeD's best fighters at odds with each other in the current situation? It was like she had told the student earlier; it was easy to consider other people when everything was calm and peaceful, being concerned about others was harder when the situation was more difficult.

Quistis realised that she'd been standing there too long, even without knocking, when the door opened and the room's occupant looked out. Automatically, the part of Quistis' mind trained to observe and remember noted that while he was mostly dressed, he had removed his belt, gloves and jacket leaving him in black pants and white t-shirt. She couldn't actually remember seeing him so 'dressed-down' before, and it was turning out to be a more distracting than she was actually prepared for, mentally.

Squall raised an eyebrow slightly, "Something you need, Instructor?"

Quistis thought about correcting him, again, that she was no longer an Instructor; then she sighed and answered, "I think the rest of our group has lost their minds."

_'What's that supposed to mean?'_ Squall couldn't keep himself from wondering, though all he said was, "Good for them."

"Maybe," Quistis shrugged. "But it may not be for you, just so you know."

_'Why can't people talk plainly? Why do they always have to play games?'_ Squall mentally groaned. Verbally, his response was, "Could you just... tell me?"

"Tell you?" Quistis managed a smile as she finished the sentence along with him. "Alright. You know how Selphie's in charge of the Garden Festival?"

He vaguely remembered something about it, she'd tried to recruit him for the Festival Committee after the SeeD Graduation Exam, but he'd been more concerned with getting dragged out onto the dance floor by a stranger - Rinoa, as it had turned out later - and then meeting Quistis in the Training Center to give an answer about joining, "So?"

"She's decided to make it into a party in celebration of your being named 'SeeD Commander'... and it looks like her and the others want Rinoa to be the 'party favor'."

"...What?" The look of shocked disbelief on the normally unflappable Gunblade Specialist's face would have been a victory to Quistis at any other time.

"Maybe not quite as bad as I made it out," Quistis corrected with a suppressed grin. "'Party favor' is probably taking it too far. But they are planning for her to be your escort to the Festival whether you like the idea or not."

"I wasn't going," Squall stated after shaking his head to clear it.

"Whether you like it or not," Quistis repeated.

"If I'm supposed to be the 'SeeD Commander', can't I order them to leave me alone?"

The blonde woman raised an eyebrow in faint amusement, if it had been anyone else who'd said it she would have called that last statement 'petulant', "Do you really think they'll listen?"

"...No," Squall answered grimly.

Quistis looked up and down the corridor, "Not to sound pushy, but can I come inside instead of this conversation happening where anyone could hear it?"

Instead of answering verbally, Squall took a step back and to the side, allowing Quistis to enter the room and shut the door behind her.

-o0o-

"Shhh, here he comes," Selphie whispered sharply as the door to Squall's Dormitory Single began slowly opening.

"Ok, he's all yours," Zell told Rinoa supportively, receiving a firm nod from the young woman.

Without another word, the two SeeDs ran off, leaving the leader of the Forest Owls to take care of her end of the plan. They left so fast that they weren't there to see it as the door finished opening and Squall stepped out, but instead of continuing down the corridor, he stopped and held the door for someone else. That someone else was Quistis Trepe, all decked out in her uniform; and by coincidence so was the man holding the door for her. As Rinoa turned to look at Squall, she took a step backwards as she watched Quistis take his arm for him to escort her down the hall.

_'Wha-what?'_ The Deling City-native mentally stammered at the sight.

Her confusion was understandable; only hours before, Quistis had walked away from the rest of the team when Irvine and Selphie had been presenting their plan for the Garden Festival. The blonde had been trying to talk them out of it, claiming that it wasn't the kind of situation that Squall cared for and it would just backfire; then, when they refused to give up she had informed them that she wouldn't take part in whatever they were going to do and left. So, why, then, was she formally dressed and with their 'target' became the question that entered Rinoa's mind.

The only thing that was making any sense was the possibility that something had happened while the group had been seperated. Rinoa herself, because of the knowledge she'd had about the Galbadian Army through General Caraway, had been part of the 'Missile Base Team' along with Zell, who had wanted to make up for his slip in Timber that had helped put the Gardens in danger, and Selphie; but, as a former SeeD Instructor, Quistis had joined Irvine, who couldn't return to Galbadia Garden with the Sorceress having taken it for her own uses, and Squall in heading back to Balamb Garden in hopes that her former position would increase the chances of Cid listening to their warning. The two teams had only been reunited earlier that day - or had it been late the day before, Rinoa wasn't sure, she'd lost track of time in all the confusion - and they hadn't had enough time to fully share what had happened with each other, only the important parts.

_'But... if something had happened, wouldn't Irvine have known?'_ Rinoa wondered, staring at the pair - couple? - as they walked down the dormitory corridor towards her.

"Irvine and Selphie arranged everything; what kind of music do you think that means?" Quistis could be heard asking.

"Nothing to dance to, I hope," Squall answered, causing his companion to raise her free hand to her mouth to cover a faint laugh.

Rinoa's expression went flat; to the best of her knowledge, the last time that Squall had done anything like dancing it had been at the SeeD Graduation Ball with her as a partner and she'd had to almost kidnap him to get him out on the floor. When they'd met again in the Forest Owls' headquarters, he'd simply dismissed it all as being something that a SeeD was trained to do. Now, here he was actually sounding like he was joking - if that was how he sounded when he was joking, it didn't seem serious at least - about it with Quistis and the brunette wasn't sure how that made her feel.

"I meant that the scores Selphie had earlier all needed four people to play instruments," Quistis elaborated as the two of them got nearer to where Rinoa was standing, still yet to acknowledge her. "Do you think they've tried to work them out with three people or found someone else to join them?"

Squall shrugged, indicating that he either didn't care or didn't think it mattered which was the answer. The truth was that he wasn't going to the Festival because he wanted to, but because based on what Quistis had told him about the 'planning session' she'd attended, if he didn't show up on his own then Selphie and the others would likely send someone to retrieve him; a conclusion that was being borne out by the fact that as soon as he and Quistis had exited the Dormitory Single, he'd seen Rinoa there waiting as though in ambush. It had been Quistis herself who had suggested the plan they were using, to consider it just a simple bodyguard mission. SeeDs were mercenaries, special forces, but not all of their missions involved direct battle, which was part of the reason they were trained to do things like formal dancing; being hired as bodyguards wasn't uncommon for SeeDs, the asset to be protected willing or unwilling, and that meant they had to blend in to whatever environment the asset inhabited - including 'required, but undesired, social situations'. Despite Quistis' reasoning that, as SeeD Commander he had a certain duty to at least make an appearance at a Garden function, Squall felt that the Festival fit the 'undesired social situation' catagory for him.

He still couldn't believe the way that she'd teased him about not having to worry, she'd be his bodyguard against the scary SeeDs - and Garden Student and resistance cell leader, though she hadn't said that much - trying to play matchmakers. Squall was of the opinion that the blonde woman had enjoyed it just a little too much.

Quistis, for her part, was taking that moment to recognise the fact that they weren't alone in the corridor, "Oh, hello, Rinoa."

"Quistis," Rinoa returned the greeting with a displeased look; not happy that the other woman was interfering in something that had taken everyone all afternoon to plan. If she hadn't wanted to be involved, that was fine, but this was something else entirely. Rinoa was so busy mentally fuming that she almost missed Squall raise his free hand in silent greeting.

"Are you waiting for an escort to the Garden Festival?" the former Instructor asked with calm innocence as they paused in their path. It was only years of practiced stoicism that kept Squall from reacting to her act and he still found himself wondering how she was able to say it with a straight face.

"I thought I was," Rinoa answered, eyes darting towards Squall for a moment.

"Well, we need to get going ourselves. We'll see you there, I'm sure," the blonde remarked, a slight tug on her companion's arm enough to start them both moving again.

Rinoa didn't attempt to follow them. Standing there in the corridor, she found herself repeatedly clenching and unclenching a fist in frustration. She'd thought things had changed between her and Squall after he'd rescued her in Deling City, but then he'd sent her with the other team and now this; it was looking like whatever was going on with Seifer, why-ever he was with the Sorceress now, he was still right about Squall, not just Squall, but Instructor Trepe - Quistis - too...

-o0O0o-

Author's Note: I considered writing the events of the Garden Festival proper, but finally decided against it. The reactions of Selphie and co. wouldn't necessarily be that different than Rinoa's own and I can't see Quistis, having gone against them to warn him, pushing Squall to 'open up to them' like Rinoa did in the game, so there wouldn't likely be the same conflict between him and his 'date'.


End file.
